Leaving Town
by Beth Smith
Summary: After the accident, Simon and Cecilia leave Glenoak. Sequel to "Something You Can't Take Back."
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Nothing and nobody are mine. Except Simon and Cecilia's baby. And Simon could be someday... The title for this story is from the Dexter Freebish song...  
  
MY NOTES: I apologize. I had started typing the Wilson story on a tie vote, and then more people voted for a sequel, so I'll try to keep two stories going at the same time. I'm truly sorry! If you haven't read "Something You Can't Take Back," go back and read it, or very little of this will make sense. The prologue takes place just a few minutes after the final episode of last season, with Sgt. Michaels and Lou at the door.  
  
DEDICATION: To everyone who read "Something You Can't Take Back," and asked for a sequel. Camdengirl4ever, Maria, FlyinHigh, simcecilia, and P7FHP.  
  
Prologue  
  
Cecilia Smith Camden was dressing her daughter, Emily. They were going out with her husband, Simon's, family to celebrate his youngest sister, Ruthie's, becoming a woman.  
  
Cecilia kept looking at her watch. Where was Simon? He should have been home already. He was getting off early from his job at the pool hall to come home, and he should've been there.  
  
She heard someone knocking on the trapdoor to the garage apartment that she shared with Simon and Emily. "Come in!" she called, snapping the last snap on the baby's outfit. The door opened and Cecilia saw Reverend Eric Camden coming up the steps. Her heart sank as she saw Sgt. Michaels and Lou, a deacon from the church, following him. "Oh, God, no!" she thought, sure that they were bringing bad news.  
  
"Is it Simon? Is he..." She couldn't voice the fears that were torturing her mind.  
  
"Physically, he's fine," Sgt. Michaels said. "But...Simon was in an accident, Cecilia. He's OK. But there was a kid..."  
  
Cecilia closed her eyes, wishing that she could wake up from this bad dream.  
  
"A kid on a bike...He wasn't wearing a helmet, and he pulled out in front of Simon. He couldn't stop."  
  
Cecilia had her hand over her mouth. "No," she gasped. "Please, no, God."  
  
"The kid died on impact. And Simon's having a really hard time. It wasn't technically his fault, but he still feels pretty guilty."  
  
"Where is he, now?" she asked.  
  
"He's in the hospital right now. Mostly cuts and bruises, but he did split open a pace on his cheek."  
  
"Can I go see him?"  
  
"Sure. But I'm warning you ahead of time. He's different than the Simon you know."  
  
She grabbed her purse and carried Emily downstairs and out to her car. She cranked the engine. And then she drove...  
  
...............  
  
A/N: Short, I know...but anyway, it'll pick up some steam soon... 


	2. Saying Goodbye

DISCLAIMER: Nothing and nobody are mine. Except Simon and Cecilia's baby. And Simon could be someday...  
  
MY NOTES: I don't really have any silly or sarcastic comments to say with the exception of the above wish that Simon was mine... I have to get in a tad of a sad and hurting kind of mood to get this story out... Thank you to all my reviewers. As my friend Shan would say, I love reviews more than Mary loves Wilson...Not that that has anything whatsoever to do with Simon and Cecilia, huh?  
  
Camdengirl4ever- Yup! Dedicated to you, and all those darlings who read my last one! Thanks so much for the r/r.  
  
RGblue16- Glad you like!  
  
simcecilia- Poor Simon with all us fanfic writers making his life miserable...Of course, the WB's no better for making him kill somebody! Glad you like it!  
  
Camden-Kinkirk- Always a pleasure to review, especially with a great story!  
  
KayKayeLLe- Glad you like it! Can you stand Cecilia yet? lol... And as far as effects on the marriage...Stay tuned!  
  
Shan- What's wrong with your internet explorer? Do you have a virus? We had one once, and it stunk! Thank goodness for Virus Scan! Doing three fics at once is not easy...But I like to think of myself as a multi-tasker, but I'm probably not. My poor little RtT fic is not getting reviewed much! ::cries:: Poor Gerry...OK, so that got a little long!   
  
Thyrin- I hope you read this! Thanks for reviewing my other fic! Here's the asked for sequel!  
  
Chapter 1: Saying Goodbye  
  
Simon and Cecilia were gathered with their families in the airport to say good bye.  
  
Cecilia couldn't believe that they were leaving home. Her family and friends were in Glenoak. She didn't want to leave. Glenoak was home. Her baby was born there. Everything that tied her, tied her to Glenoak. She didn't want to leave the safety of the garage apartment and the Camden family. Things with Emily were always easier when Cecilia knew that there was someone there to stand beside her.  
  
Simon couldn't wait to leave. To get away. He hated being in Glenoak. He'd killed a kid. A kid who was out riding his bike. He hated himself. How could he kill a kid? purposefully or by accident. He was just driving along when the kid had pulled out from out of nowhere. He'd tried to stop, or pull out of the way, but it was too late.  
  
It haunted his dreams at night. It hurt so much that sometimes he thought he would die. Sometimes he even wished he would. Cecilia tried to help him, but she couldn't. And he got mad at her when she tried. He knew that he was hurting her and shutting her out, but a part of him didn't care. He loved Cecilia, but he was so wrapped up in his own pain that he didn't think about her or Emily, or anyone else for that matter. He was just ready to get away from home and from the memories that haunted him.  
  
He let his parents hug him, and then his siblings. He shook Kevin's hand, and then shook hands with Cecilia's parents.  
  
Cecilia was crying as her parents hugged her. "I love you, Dad," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, Mom."  
  
Simon heard the PA system call their flight number. He emotionlessly turned to Cecilia. "Let's go," he said in an empty voice.  
  
Cecilia watched him pick up the bags in an almost robotic fashion. She got the diaper bag and the carry-all with three-month-old Emily in it. Eric put his arm around Annie, who turned to cry on his shoulder.  
  
Cecilia slid his arm around Simon's waist, and almost cried when his reaction was pulling away from her. Why wouldn't he let her help him? Or at least support him. But he pulled away every time she touched him. She'd only kissed him once in the two and a half months since the accident. She was starved for him to kiss her, or touch her, or hold her. Even if he would just brush a finger across her cheek. She could barely remember the last time he had said he loved her.  
  
Whenever he felt like holding someone, he held Emily, and even that didn't happen often.  
  
They boarded the plane and sat down side by side. Cecilia held Emily in her arms. Simon sat beside her at the window seat. He leaned back and closed his eyes.  
  
Cecilia looked over at Simon's hand on the arm rest. She reached over and took his hand, but he opened his eyes and pulled his hand away. "I'm gonna try to take a nap," he said, almost coldly.  
  
Sadness covered her face. "OK, Simon. I understand."  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"No, Cecilia," he said angrily. "You don't understand. You won't ever understand unless you kill somebody."  
  
"Simon, I..."  
  
"No!" he interrupted. "Don't tell me it's not my fault. Because I know that. And it doesn't help. It doesn't matter that it wasn't my fault. What matters is that there's a kid who's dead, and if it wasn't for me, he'd still be alive."  
  
"Simon," she began, "I wasn't going to say it's not your fault. Because I know you've heard that so many times that you want to beat every person who says it. And I know that you hate what happened..."  
  
"No. I hate myself. I hate what I did. I hate that kid for smoking pot and not wearing a helmet. And...And I wish everybody would just stop trying to make me feel better. If everybody hated me, I think I'd feel alot better."  
  
"Simon, I..."  
  
"Cecilia, leave me alone," he snapped.  
  
"Simon, would you listen to me!"  
  
"OK. What?" he demanded, turning to face her.  
  
"You know what, never mind. I don't even know what makes me keep trying to talk to you. You don't listen. You're too bullheaded."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me, Simon. You're bullheaded." She turned to him angrily. "I think you're trying to make us hate you. And we're not gonna hate you. I love you, Simon. And I will always love you. You can't make me hate you."  
  
"Cecilia..."  
  
"She cut him off. "Don't talk to me until you have something to say. I know you're hurting. But so am I. And this is not my fault. So just leave me alone."  
  
The plane took off, and Emily began to cry as her ears popped. Cecilia held her and patted her back, trying to calm her down. "Shh..."  
  
She finally calmed down as her ears adjusted to the pressure. Cecilia patted her back again. "It's OK."  
  
She put the baby back into the carry-all and leaned back in her seat. Simon reached over to take her hand. She wanted to let him hold it, but her anger wouldn't let her. She pulled away from him, and he looked at her sadly. Just one moment when he wasn't paying attention had changed his life so much. He'd killed someone, and he had driven Cecilia away. He couldn't bring back the kid, and he didn't know if he could gain back Cecilia's trust and respect.  
  
He sat back in his seat and prepared for a long day.  
  
...............  
  
A/N: The following chapter will follow them through the rest of the flight and through the beginning of life at Simon's new college... 


End file.
